Concrete mixer



July 17, 1928.

J. E. BUSHNELL CONCRETE MIXER Filed Oct. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIIIIIIIIIHHJ lilllw J. E. BUSHNELL July 17 CONCRETE MIXER Filed Oct. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awueuboz Patented. July 17, 1228.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. BUSHNELL, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RANSOME CONCRETE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONCRETE MIXER.

Application filed October 20, 1926. Serial No. 142,825.

The improvements relate to machinesfor mixing concrete, and primarily to machines of this character in which a tilting tub or drum is employed, but have other applications.

In machines of the character indicated, the tub or mixing drum is pivotally mounted and arranged to be tilted in one direction to receive a charge of concrete aggregates to be mixed, and in another dlrectlon, to discharge the mixed concrete. This requires the employment. of mechanism for tilting as well as for rotating the tub and also means for holding it securely in charging, mixing and discharging positions, but which will permit it to be moved quicklly and easily from one position to another. t also necessitates the elevation of the concrete aggregates so that they can bed1scharged into the drum by the charging hopper or skip without requiring the former to be tilted to a position in which the contents will spill from the charging and discharging opening at its top. The present improvements have for their ob ects, among others, the provision of more eflicient, certain, simple and durable means for the purposes indicated.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which F g. 1 is a side elevation, partly diagrammatic, of a concrete mixer comprising a tilting drum, a pivoted charging hopper for the same and mechanism for operating and controlling the operation of the drum and hopper, embodying the improvements;

Fig. 2'is a detached view of the drum operatin and controlling means enlarged taken su stantially at right angles to the elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and from the point of view of Fig. 1. The drum or tub 1 is a vessel having an open mouth 2, and adapted to be provided with blades or the like on the interior thereof for the purpose of agitating and mixing the aggregates when the drum is rotated. It is mounted on a pivot 3 and may be provided with any suitable means for rotating it. Such means commonly consist of an annular rack 4 on the exterior of the drum and an axial power operated pinion in mesh therewith, but as mechanism of this charactor is well known in the art and is illustrated in numerous prior patents, it need not ,well known and need not be shown or described.

F1xed to the hub 5 and in rigid relation to the axis on which the rum rotates, so as to swing with the drum is the disk 6, and this disk has a series of peripheral plates 7 secured to its periphery, preferably by means of bolts 8 passed through the disk and through slots 9 in the plates so as to permit circumferential adjustment. These plates extend slightly beyond the edge of the disk, are curved, so as to provide an inclined surface 7 and have central recesses 10 in their outer edges adapted to be engaged by a 1'ol ler 11 for the purpose of stopping the swinging movement of the disk. and, the tub, and holding the latter in the position to WlllCll it has been tilted. The roller is positioned between the upstanding flanges of a U-shaped bearing bracket 12, and mounted in them, and this bracket is fixed to the top of the cylindrical sleeve 13 telescoping with the upper end of the post 14 rigidly mounted on a base 15, which is a 7 part of the mixer frame. An arm 16 extending from the bracket 12 passes through a guide 17, which holds it against lateral movement, and has its outer end pivotally secured in the bracket 18 fixed to the hori-' zontal frame member 19. In order to press the roller into the notches 10, and permit it to retract, a compression spring 20 is strung on the sleeve 13 and post 14, and supported and held under compression by a collar 21 fixed to the latter. The upper end of the spring bears against the bottom of the bracket 12, and its lower end against the collar 21, so that the spring is held under compression between these two parts and constantl tends to press the roller 11 against t e edge of the disk 6 and into the notches 10.

. The hand wheel 22 for rocking the tub and its disk is mounted on the frame of the machine, and may be operatively connected or discharging.

with the disk 6 in any desired manner, to impart rocking motion thereto and to the tub, preferably by means of a rack 23 fixed to the disk and a pinion 24,fixed to a hub of the said wheel. The wheel is preferably made without handles, so that when the tub tilts from vertical position by gravity the operator may permt it to do this while holding his hand on the wheel. .1

In the illustrative embodiment of the im-. provements herein shown and described, four of the notched plates 7 are shown, but it will be understood that any desired number of these plates, greater or less than the number shown, may be used, and that they may be positioned so as to hold the tub in any desired position for charging, mixing The mixing position will depend to some extent upon the construction and arrangement of the mixing blades inside the tub, and the charging and discharging positions may be determined to some extent by the character of the aggregates and of the mix, and also, as to the charging position, upon the construction and arrangement p of the loading hopper or skip.

The tub and the other parts, including the charging device, are supported on a rigid frame comprising, the bottom member 15, upright members 24 and 25, horizontal member 19 and diagonal member 26, a bearing member 27 being secured to the top of the frame, to accommodate the bearings ofa hoisting drum for hoisting cables to operate the hopper. The entire apparatus is preferably mounted and elevated above the ground on a truck 28.

Secured to the diagonal frame member 26 is a plate 29 provided with an irregularly curved open ended slot 30 to receive a rod 31 on which the charging hopper 32 pivots,

the said hopper being connected with said i 7 rod by means of the bar 33 extending from the outer part thereof and connected therewith and keyed to the rod 31. Also extending outwardly from this bar, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, is another bar 34 carrying the jaw 35 near its outer end, which is adapted to engage the bar 36 ex tending across the frame at a point above .the plate 29, so that when the hopper swings upwardly on its bearing in the slot 30 this jaw will engage-the bar and cause the bar 31 to move outwardly through the slot 30, the hopper pivoting on this bar 36 in this movement, and thus shift the radius on which the outer part of the "hopper swings and correspondingly reduce the power required to raise it. with its load, to discharging position. This will also reduce the speed'of the hoppers movement at the end of the charg-' ing movement and the beginning of the return movement, so that it can be more easily controlled. The cable for raising and lowering the hopper is indicated at 37, and the swingin drum at 38, these parts being of any desired form.

It will be understood that a slotted plate tion. The loading hopper is then raised,

and caused to swing on its lower pivot, until the jaws engage the upper pivot .rod. It then starts to pivot on this, rod, the first movement being a slight downward movement, permitted by the downward inclined inner portion of the slot 30, to seat the upper bar in the recessed upper portion of the jaw. This pivoting movement causes the pivot shaft 31 to pass out through the open end of the slot 30, and cease to function as a pivot, and causes the hopper to swing up- Wardly to dumping position on a pivot relatively close to the charging opening of the vessel. It also brings the hoisting cable into relation more 'nearly tangential to the arc described by the outer part of the hopper, so that the latter is brought to charging position quickly and with a minimum of power. When the hopper descends it first pivots on the upper bar, until the lower pivot shaft is seated in the upper ends of the slots 30, the stee upper end of the slot raising the jaws slig tly so that they will clear the said upper bar, and then pivots on the said lower shaft until it reaches the ground. v It will be seen that this double pivot construction and arrangement insures strength and durability and certainty of action, and also economizes power and facilitates braking of the descending hopper.

If the vessel is provided with mixing means which operate most efiiciently with.

the mixer'in charging position the operator will next start the drum rotating means and permit the drum to remain in that position,

been tilted until released by rotation of the hand wheel, because the power exerted through the wheel is much greater than the gravity of the drum with its load. When the mixing operation is finished the drum is swung to dumping position, in which position it is held securely by the roller latch engaging the notch at that position until the batch is discharged. During all these tilting movements of the drum the rotary mixing movement may be continued, and in fact it is not necessary to interrupt the rotation of the drum at. all during successive charging, mixing and discharging operations 1 I claim.

1. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing vessel having a charging opening and mounted to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and dlscharging positions, of a charging device, a plurality of pivots on which said charging device is mounted to swing from lower to upper position, one of said pivots being independent of the remaining pivot.

2. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing vessel having a charging opening and mounted to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and discharging positions, of a charging device, a plurality of pivots on which said charging device is mounted to swing from lower to upper position, one of said pivots being in proximity to the said charging opening in all positions of said charging device and another pivot being inoperative when said charging device has been tilted to charging position.

3. In a charging device, a hopper or bucket, a frame on which said bucket is mounted to swing from lower charging position to upper discharging position, said mounting comprisin a plurality of pivot members and engaging members therefor, one of said engaging members being in engagement with its pivot member when the other is disengaged.

4. In a charging device, a hopper or bucket, a frame on which said bucket is mounted to swing from lower charging position to upper discharging position, said mounting comprising a plurality of pivot members and engaging members therefor, one of said engaging members being in engagement with its pivot member when the other is disengaged and both being engaged simultaneously when the hopper is between its upper and lower positions.

5. In a charging device, a hopper or bucket, a frame on which said bucket is mounted to swing from lower charging position to upper discharging position, said mounting comprising a plurality of pivot members and engaging members therefor, one of said engaging members being in engagement with its pivot member when the other is disengaged, said pivot and engaging members having upper and lower positions and the upper being engaged when the hopper is in upper position and the lower when it is in lower position.

6. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a frame and a mixing vessel having a charging opening and mounted on said frame to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and discharging positions, of a charging device unconnected with said frame, a plurality of pivots on which said charging device is adapted to swing from lower to upper position, said charging device being removable from said frame.

7. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing vessel having a charging opening and mounted to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and discharging positions, of a guide member and a member arranged to engage the same, one of said members being in fixed relation to the axis of rotation of said vessel, and the other being in non-fixed relation thereto, one of said members being constructed to yield and the other having portions yieldingly engaged thereby.

8. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a mixing vessel having a charging "opening and mounted to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and discharging positions, of a guide member and a member arranged to engage the same, one of said members being in fixed relation to the axis of rotation of said vessel, and the other being in non-fixed relation thereto, one of said members being constructed to yield and the other having portions yieldingly engaged thereby and hand operated means for causing disengagement of the same.

9. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with amixing vessel having a charging opening and mounted to rotate and to have tilting movement to charging and discharging positions, of a guide member and a member arranged to engage the same, one of said members being in fixed relation to the axis of rotation of said vessel, and the other be ing in nonsfixed relation thereto, one of said members being constructed to yield and the other having portions yieldingly engaged thereby and hand operated means for causing disengagement of the same, said lastnamed means being operativelv connected with means for tilting the vessel.

10. In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame, means for causing one of said members to yieldingly engage the other and means on the other member for causing said engagement to prevent said axial movement at predetermined points.

11, In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in dill'crent positions to which it may be moved comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame, means for causing one of said members to yieldingly engage the other and means on the other member for causing said engagement to prevent. said axial movement at predetermined points, said means including a spring pressed movable. engaging member and said engaged member having recesses to receive said engaging member.

12. In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame, means for causing one of said members to yieldingly engage the other and means on the other member for causing said engagement to prevent said axial movement at predetermined points, and means connected with the said moving means for causing automatic disengagement through the operation of said moving member.

13. In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the Vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved comprising a member mounted on the Vessel and amember mounted on the frame of one of said members having recesses therein and inclined projecting portions leading to said recesses and a latch member on the other, and flexible means for pressing the same in the direction of said recesses.

14.. In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame of one of said members having recesses therein and inclined projecting portions leading to said recesses and a latch member on the other, and flexible means for pressing the same in the direction of said recesses, said moving means being operatively connected with said holding means and means for causing movement of the former to disengage the latter.

15. In combination with a frame and a earners mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thercon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved, comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame, said members being provided with recesses and a rolling latch member on the other, and means for constantly pressing said latch member in the direction of said recesses.

16. In combination with a frame and a mixing vessel mounted to rotate on a movable axis thereon, means for causing movement of the axis of the vessel and means for checking said movement and holding said vessel in different positions to which it may be moved, comprising a member mounted on the vessel and a member mounted on the frame, said members being provided with recesses and a rolling latch member on the other, and means for constantly pressing said latch member in the direction of said recesses, the construction and arrangement being such that lateral movement of one member with respect to the other will cause said rolling latch member to be forced out of said recesses.

17. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tilting mixing vessel, means for tilting the same, a member mounted to move with the former having recesses therein and inclined projecting portions leading to said recesses, a latch adapted to engage said recesses mounted on afixed part, said latch comprising a recess engagmg portion and a spring Cf istantly pressing said portion in the direct on of the path of the recesses, but arranged to yield to permit said engaging portion to pass out of said recesses and over said inclined portions to said recesses.

18. In a device of the character described, the combination of atilting mixing vessel, means for tilting the same, a member mounted to move with the former having recesses therein and inclined projecting portions leading to said recesses, a latch adapted to engage said recesses mounted on a fixed part, said latch comprising a recess engagmg portion and a spring constantly pressmg said portion in the direction of the path of the recesses, but arranged to yield to permit said engaging portion to pass out of sald recesses and over said inclined portions to said recesses, and means for holding the said recess engaging member against lateral movement while permitting movement thereof to and from the recesses.

Witness my hand this 18 day of October, 1926.

7 JAMES E. BUSHNELL. 

